for the government of the world when the times are ripe for it--the purpose which He has cherished in His own mind of restoring the whole creation to find its one Head in Christ; yes, things in Heaven and things on earth, to find their one Head in Him.

God has put all things under His feet, and has appointed Him universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body,

At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world.

Such was the eternal purpose which He had formed in Christ Jesus our Lord,

as it is grasped by all God's people, of the breadth and length, the height and depth--

There is but one body and but one Spirit, as also when you were called you had one and the same hope held out to you.

(Now this "re-ascended" --what does it mean but that He had first descended into the lower regions of the earth?

But we shall lovingly hold to the truth, and shall in all respects grow up into union with Him who is our Head, even Christ.

because a husband is the Head of his wife as Christ also is the Head of the Church, being indeed the Saviour of this His Body.

Let it not be in acts of eye-service as if you had but to please men, but as Christ's bondservants who are doing God's will from the heart.